


First Festival

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Music, Yuletide, Yuletide 2008
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-24
Updated: 2008-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-11 10:58:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for: vanillafluffy in the Yuletide 2008 Challenge</p><p>Much thanks to my beta, Fred!</p>
    </blockquote>





	First Festival

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vanillafluffy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/gifts).



> Written for: vanillafluffy in the Yuletide 2008 Challenge
> 
> Much thanks to my beta, Fred!

  
Menolly fingered the final note on her gitar and heard the other three do the same. There was a moment of stillness, as though that final note was still swelling invisibly through the crowd.

At last, the silence ended with a pop, and a wave of sound crashed into Menolly's skull. The audience roared in approval and applauded wildly. Despite having performed at a few gathers, Menolly still flushed bright red at the clamor.

With a smirk for Menolly's discomfort, Talmor rose from his seat, a bare second behind Domick. Sebell offered his hand to Menolly with a comforting smile and the two of them rose and joined the others. Together, the quartet bowed.

Next, Domick bowed on his own, followed by Sebell, Talmor, and lastly Menolly. She wouldn't have believed it possible, but the applause actually grew louder. It wasn't a large difference, but it was enough to cause a new blush to spread across Menolly's cheeks.

After what seemed like an eternity, Domick lead the quartet in another bow and then they all filed off the stage. A half-sized chorus of apprentices took their places and their journeyman director led them in a lively tune.

Menolly gladly accepted a cup of water from the table behind the dais and then followed the others in stowing their instruments.

Nothing that Piemur had told her could have prepared Menolly for the awe-inspiring experience that was performing in the Festival. The energy that the audience reflected back at the performers was intense, to say the least, and Menolly _loved_ it.

Menolly finished storing her gitar and looked around. Talmor and Piemur were back on rotation soon, but she and Sebell had a long break before either of them was due to perform again.

The older journeyman was waiting for her at the end of the dais, a small tray of food in his hand. With a welcoming smile, Menolly strode towards him. As he handed her a meatroll, Sebell nodded towards her left hand, which Menolly was gently stretching and closing. "How's your hand?"

"Fine." Menolly held it up for his inspection, knowing that Sebell would badger her about it until he saw proof. The scar was a little red, yes, but there were no new splits in the taut skin.

"Good," Sebell took her hand in his own, running his thumb lightly over the scar.

Menolly shivered, and not just from the feather-light touch to her palm. She had noticed it recently - whenever Sebell brushed against her, Menolly's spine tingled, all the way down to her feet. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she intended to ignore the odd sensation until it went away.

"May I ask you something?" Sebell's voice broke through Menolly's thoughts, his tone causing her to look at him in surprise.

"Of course."

"What do you think your family would say, if they could have seen you perform for this crowd tonight?" Sebell's voice was barely loud enough for Menolly to hear above the crowd.

She snorted. "Frankly I've given up on imagining what they would think of me," Menolly declared. "Except for Alemi. I don't think I could ever make my family proud of me, so why should I try? I'm proud of me, and that's what counts." It had taken Menolly a good while to come to this point of thinking, but now that she was free from the shadow of her family's disapproval, she refused to cower to it any longer.

"I'm sure Master Robinton is proud of you," Sebell offered quietly.

Menolly smiled. "Thank you, Sebell."

Sebell stopped walking, drawing in a deep breath. Menolly turned slightly to look at him. Sebell released her hand and raised his own to gently cup her face. "I'm proud of you too." Then, he kissed her cheek.

By the time Menolly recovered her wits enough to look for him, Sebell had disappeared into the crowd. Letting him escape, Menolly walked through the festival crowds, not realizing that a small smile graced her face.


End file.
